Benjamin Franklin Gates
Ben Franklin Gates Portrayed by Nicolas Cage and born in 1964 Ben is the only child of Pattrick Henry Gates and his former wife Emily Gates nee Appleton, as well as the paternal grandson son of John Addams Gates.Is a treasure hunter and Cryptologist who has a menchanical enginerring degree from MIT and an American History Degree from Georgetown. A former NAvy man who attened the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center before continuing the six generation family Tradion of Treasuer Hunting. Charlotte In 1974 he was told by his grandfather about a treasuer that goes back to The free Masons and the KNights Templer which was so big that no one man could claim it. The story was a family lengend which came from Ben's Ancestor Thomas Gates in the 1820's or 30's. Thomas Gates was given by the last surviving member of the signers of the Declaration of Independence Charles Carrol when after a ride to the White House produced nothing becuase President Andrew Jackson was not there that night a apiece of paper with the words "The Secert lies with Charlotte." It takes him 30 years and the riducle of his own father who has told him to stop wasting time on this myth becuase that is all that it is to find that Charlette was a ship. Financied by Ian Howe and acompanied by his henchman along computer whiz kid friend Reily Poole they find THe Charlotte along with another clue a pipe and a riddle. Ben figures out the Riddle is the Decolration itself with the map to the treasure writeen in invisable ink and gives up hope becuase the goverment is not going to allow them to run test on a Document over 225 years old. Ian and his henchmen betray Ben and Riley leaving them for Dead when they do not go along with the idea of stealing it. Washington After surving the only thing that Ben and Riely can think to do is to warn the Authorities. They try DHS and The FBI who both write them off as Lunatics. Ben figures out that the only department of the Goverment that will believe him is The National Archies itself and he makes an appointment under an alais Paul Brown with a Dr. Abigal Chase. Who does not believe them and tells them that she has persoanlly inspected the Declaration itself and it does not have a map on it. Ben then goes to the Declaration itself and reads what it says which is where he gets the idea to steal the Delcoration to protect it from Ian who would destroy it. Reily over hears this and tells him that it is impoosible. He even gets out Blue Prints from the Libary of Congress to show that the Decloration is the most protected thing ever in the United States with lasers and bullet proff glass an arm guards at its side all the time. Plus when not on display it is moved into a Vault. Ben tells the famous lightbulb story how Thomas Edison found 2000 ways not to make a light bulb but only one to do so and then he shows Riely the pamlet he took for the Archives about a Galla celbrating the anniversy of the signing. Ben says this will be the only time for them to steal it. With hi tech computer and camera Ben breaks into the Document cleaning faciliaty where the Decolration is sent so that it does not fall apart. Ben figures out Abigal password as Valley Forge and takes the document so that it can be looked at in his sterolized apartment. However he runs into Ian who shoots at him and has to make a break for it. One part of the plan was to get a copy of the Decolration and Ben's uses his Visa card to do so that leaves a trail. Abigal when she sees Ben or Paul Brown as she knows hin at the Galla figures out that something is not right and goes after him. Ian is also after Ben and Reily and takes Abigal and what he thinks is the Decolration. Ben and Reily save Abigal and now they have to figure out where to go becuase thanks to the credit card purchase they can not go home. Philadelphia Ben now hunted by the FBI and Special agent Peter Sadusky figures out that the only place they can go now beeing that Abigal is not letting The Decloration of Pnpendence out of her sight is Ben's Father house in Cherry Hill New Jersey. Pattrick Henry Gates and Ben have been estraged for years over Ben's insitant that the Treasure is real. With Lemon Juice they Abigal Ben and Reily Figure out that they next clues involve the Slience Dogood letter written by Ben Franklin. He asks his father for them but Patrick Gates says he donated them the The Franklin Instatute in Philadelphia. Using the numbers on the back of the Declorations as a key to find the next clue Reily outside the Insatute figures out that the next clue is at the Liberty Bell. It involves the direct spot on Independace Hall that shows a shadow to where the next clue is. At the Centiental Bell which is where the Liberty Bell orgianl stood he finds biophicals that help him figure out the Next place to look is in New York. However Ben is seprated from Abigal and Reily so that Ian does not get the map or the glasses. Unfourtunetly he is arrested by Stardusky in the process. Also Abigal loses the Document to Ian. New York Ben explains to the agents what he was doing and they do not believe him. They say to shorten his sentece (Sadusky gives him the two door methphoic option) he will have to help them get the others involved in the heist meaning Ian. Ian sets up a meeting at the Interpid in New York City but Ben is double crossed by Ian and he escapes by diving into the Hudson River and fleeing to where the next clue leads Trinety Church in the Wall Street area. Ian however is also there and to make sure there are no double crosses he has kipnaped Pattrick Henry Gates. The clues lead all of them to the back of the Church where there is a secert entrance . Walking down the steps Ben has to make a choice when both Abigal and The Decloration are about to fall. He choses to save the Decolration and Abigal agrees with him. Finding there is nothing at the end of the stairs Ian is ready to kill all of them. Ben and Patrick give him a fake clue that will lead Ian to the Old North Church in Boston. Ian decides to leave Ben Patrick Abigal and Reily down in the basement where noone knows they are. ONce Ian is gone Ben goes to where the treasure should be but it isn't. He finally excepts the truth that his father was right all along. Patrick Henry Gates says that this room was real therefore you Ben were right and I was wrong. Then in finding away out of the deepest of the basment all four of them find the Treasure. Boston THe FBI is called in to Trinty Church and Stardusky tells Ben that someone has to go to prison after he returns to Declaration to the goverment and says that the Treasure should be split up throughout all the Worlds great Muesums. Ben says that Sadusky can still capture Ian if he can get to Boston before Ian does. Ben is there to see the arrest. Treasure To Reily's Dismay Ben turns down the ten percent that the goverment says he could keep and only takes one percent. He then tells Reilly before Reily leaves in the covert he bought with part of his share that next time they find a treasure he can decide on the finders fee. Book of Scerets Ben will have to confront his own family history during the Civil War and his estraged mother in National Treasure Book of Secerts. Comparsion Ben Gates is compared to by fan to Indiana Jones from the 1980's movies